Virtua Fighter 4 is Sega's first blockbuster release for the PS2. Exclusive to Sony's machine (for now, anyway), this is the game that's supposed to put Sega on the map for PlayStation owners. The pedigree couldn't be any better: the original game was the first-ever 3D beat-'em-up and this third sequel has possibly the most stunning graphics yet seen on the PS2. If you sense a "but" coming, you're either getting to the end of your cigarette or you've already played the arcade version. The Virtua Fighter series is renowned for its tactical fights, full of blocks and counters rather than the more simplistic combo-centric gameplay of rival Tekken. This makes the Virtua Fighter games a little harder to get into, but far more rewarding over time; the 'but' comes into play when you realise that Virtua Fighter 4 is substantially different from what has gone before. For starters the Dodge button has been axed, making it much harder to take full advantage of the 3D arenas. There's also less of an emphasis on counter attacks and more on chaining effective combos. All of this has no doubt been done to attract Tekken fans, and indeed if you're a fan of that series but were disappointed by the lacklustre Tekken Tag Tournament then this is definitely the game for you. If you're an old-skool Virtua Fighter fan this is still the game for you, it just comes with a slight hint of disappointment. But then, life's like that. --David Jenkins